Bowling alley gutter construction



Oct. 18, 1966 LARSON BOWLING ALLEY GUTTER CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 2, 1963 United States Patent 3,279,795 BOWLING ALLEY GUTTER CONSTRUCTION Jack E. Larson, Muskegon, Mich., assignor to Brunswick Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 2, 1963, Ser. No. 299,540 4 Claims. (Cl. 273-51) This invention relates in general to bowling alley apparatus, and more particularly to an improved gutter construction for use in a bowling alley.

In the past it has been conventional to provide curved Wooden gutters adjacent each side of a bowling lane to receive balls which are rolled off the bowling surface and convey them to the end of the lane. Wooden gutters have proven unsatisfactory in that it has been difiicult and time consuming to install them in a bowling alley, and when .installed in an alley, it has been difficult to retain them in top flight operating order. The present invention provides a gutter construction which is easy to install in a bowling alley, and which when installed is a durable yet physically attractive gutter.

A general object of the invention is to provide an improved gutter construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bowling alley gutter which is simple in construction, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and convenient to install in a bowling alley.

A further object of the invention is to provide an attractive, permanently installed gutter which fits snugly between the side face of a bowling lane and the division between that lane and an adjacent lane.

These and other objects of the invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view taken substantially as shown along line 11 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially as shown along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a bowling alley embodying the principles of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one element of the present invention.

While this invention is susceptible to embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail one specific embodiment, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, reference numeral is used in the drawing to indicate a bowling lane in its entirety. While only a single lane and gutter have been shown, it should be understood that the gutter construction of the present invention is to be used in a conventional bowling alley having a plurality of lanes separated by suitable division means, such as that shown generally at 11 with gutter members being positioned adjacent each of the sides of each lane. Each lane 10 includes a generally horizontal longitudinally extending bowling surface 12, and generally vertically extending side faces 13, only one of which is shown. The bowling lanes 10 are supported upon a suitable foundation 14 by a plurality of laterally spaced longitudinally extending stringer members 15, and a plurality of suitably longitudinally spaced apart transversely extending leveling strips 16 on stringers 15. Leveling strips 16 are substantially rectangular in cross section, and have suitable support strips 17 positioned on Patented Oct. 18, 1966 the upper surface thereof, which extend a little more than one-half of the distance between lane 10 and divider 11.

A gutter member 20 is positioned adjacent each of the sides of each lane 10 between lane 10 and divider 11, and includes an upwardly open curved upper surface 21 which defines a channel for reception of balls rolled off of bowling surface 12. Gutter 20 terminates in two spaced apart longitudinally extending edges 22 and 23 that are positioned against division means 11 and lane vertical face 13, respectively. Edge 22 is bent over as at 24 for reinforcing purposes. As is seen in FIG. 1, the central portion of the lower gutter surface is seated against support strips 17 as at 25. A leg 26 extends downwardly from edge 23, and is inclined away from lane side face 13 by a suitable angle, as for example, 5. Leg 26 terminates in an inwardly directed upwardly open curved flange 27 that defines a longitudinally extending lip 28.

First retention means in the form of a plurality of wire hooks 30 are provided to retain edge 23 in the desired position against lane side face 13. Each hook 30 is some what U-shaped and includes a bight portion 31 and parallel legs 32 and 33 extending at generally right angles from the ends of the bight portion. The end portions of legs 32 and 33 are bent over as at 34 and 35 to form relatively short second legs 36 and 37 which are generally coplanar with and parallel to legs 32 and 33, respectively. Second legs 36 and 37 terminate in fingers 38 and 39 which extend generally at right angles thereto, and which are adapted to be seated in lip 28.

Division means 11 includes a pair of spaced longitudinally extending uprights 40, only one of which is shown, secured by suitable fastening means to a support strip 41. Division means 11 further includes transversely extending longitudinally spaced support beams 42 having notched corners as at 43 for reception of longitudinally extending side pieces 45, only one of which is shown, of a capping member 44. Capping member 44 is fixedly secured in place by bolts or other equivalent fastening members, not shown. In FIG. 1 it will be noted that side piece 45 extends outwardly from upright 40 to create an overhanging edge at 46 to provide second retention means for gutter member 20 cooperable with gutter edge 22. Parts 40, 16, 25 and 13 provide a trough-like area to receive gutter member 20.

To install a gutter member 20, it is necessary merely to first position the wire hooks 30 around leveling strips 16, adjacent lane 10 with bight portion 31 being disposed under the lower surface of the leveling strip, resting temporarily on foundation 14, for example, and legs 32 and 33 extending vertically upward alongside and embracing the leveling strip. It should be noted that it is not necessary that a wire hook be associated with each leveling strip, and the placement of wire hooks on alternate, or fewer, leveling strips is entirely adequate for the purposes of this invention. The gutter member 20 is then placed in position with leg 26 seated on support strip 17 between the wire hooks 30 and the lane side face 13, and with arms 38 and 39 hooked over lip 28. In such position, it will be understood that the gutter member may be angularly displaced generally about edge 23, 26 in a clockwise direction from the position shown in FIG. 1. Edge 22 is then swung vertically downward in a counterclockwise direction with the central portion 25 of gutter 20 resting upon support strip 17. Capping member 44 is then installed on its support to retain the edge 22 of gutter member 20, It will be noted that the downward force of capping member 44, acting through support strip 17 as a fulcrum, causes leg 26 to rise to the position shown in FIG. 1, where hooks 30 are in snug engagement with leveling strips 16 and flange 27, and edge 23 abuts against lane side face 13.

Gutter member 20 is preferably formed of a somewhat resilient material, such as a thin gauge strip of steel. However, a plastic extrusion may also be satisfactory. While it is possible that each gutter member 20 may be formed of a single piece of material that extends the entire length of the lane, it is desirable that the gutter member be formed of several lengths of material for ease of installation. When a steel gutter member is used, it is desirable to coat at least the upper surface with a suitable plastic, such as vinyl or the like, so that a variety of colors and patterns will be available.

I claim:

1. A bowling alley comprising, a longitudinally extending lane having a horizontal bowling surface and a generally vertical side face, divider means spaced from 'said lane and positioned in substantial parallelism therewith, a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart generally transversely extending leveling strips beneath said lane and divider means, support means associated with said leveling strips, a gutter positioned between said lane and said divider means and including a gutter member having an upwardly open curved upper surface terminating in spaced apart longitudinally extend-ing edges, said gutter member having a central portion resting on said support means, one of said gutter member edges abutting against said lane side face and includinga leg extending generally downwardly from said edge and terminating in an inwardly directed flange, a plurality of longitudinally spaced hooks, each hook being associated with one of said leveling strips independently of said lane and retentively engaging said flange, and a capping member associated with said divider means and retentively engaging the other edge of said gutter member.

2. A bowling alley as defined in claim 1 wherein said flange has a curved upwardly open configuration, and

each hook comprises a generally U-shaped member having a bight portion positioned under a leveling strip, and spaced legs extending on opposite sides of a leveling strip with fingers on each leg extending at generally right angles thereto and seated in said flange.

3. A bowling alley comprising, a lane having a horizontal bowling surface and a generally vertical side face, a gutter adjacent said lane and including a gutter member having an upwardly open curved upper surface terminating in spaced apart longitudinally extending edges, one of said edges abutting against said lane side face and including a leg extending generally downwardly from said edge and terminating in an inwardly directed flange, a plurality of longitudinally spaced holddown members independent of said lane engaging said flange for holding said gutter member, and means cooperating with the other edge of said gutter member for moving said holddown members into secure engagement with said flange to hold said gutter member against said lane.

4. A bowling alley as defined in claim 3 wherein said leg is inclined away from said lane side face.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 187,671 2/1877 Rahte 248-481 290,731 12/1883 Bear et al. 248-481 929,684 8/1909 Mills et al. -4 1,929,302 10/1933 Boyle 189-35 2,863,184 12/1958 Hovind 20-74 2,971,759 2/1961 Blatt 273-51 2,998,109 8/1961 Jahn 189-35 3,186,712 6/1965 Kessler 273-51 DELBERT B. LOWE, Primmy Examiner. ANTON O. OECHSLE, Assistant Examiner. 

3. A BOWLING ALLEY COMPRISING, A LANE HAVING A HORIZONTAL BOWLING SURFACE AND A GENERAL VERTICAL SIDE FACE, A GUTTER ADJACENT SAID LANE AND INCLUDING A GUTTER MEMBER HAVING AN UPWARDLY OPEN CURVED UPPER SURFACE TERMINATING IN SPACED APART LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING EDGES, ONE OF SAID EDGES ABUTTING AGAINST SAID LANE SIDE FACE AND INCLUDING A LEG EXTENDING GENERALLY DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID EDGE AND TERMINATING IN AN INWARDLY DIRECTED FLANGE, A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED HOLDDOWN MEMBERS INDEPENDENT OF SAID LANE ENGAGING SAID FLANGE FOR HOLDING SAID GUTTER MEMBER, AND MEANS COOPERATING WITH THE OTHER EDGE OF SAID GUTTER MEMBER FOR MOVING SAID HOLDDOWN MEMBERS INTO SECURE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FLANGE TO HOLD SAID GUTTER MEMBER AGAINST SAID LANE. 